Improvement in testicle-supporters



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SHERMAN COOPER AND HENRY HOSFORD, OF WESTFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN TESTICLE-SUPPO RTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 214,888, dated April 29, 1879; application filed December 6, 1878.

The object of this invention is the production of a support or suspended bag for receiving and holding the testicles in an easy and natural position, and, at the same time, to

protect them from external injury or irritation and the invention consists, first, of a bag, of silk, linen, or other suitable material, for holding the testicles, loosely hung and sliding on two independent perpendicular supports of rubber-covered cord or other suitable material, the top portion of the bag being open and having a loop extending around its upper edge, through which the cords pass to support the bag; second, of two independent perpendicular supports composed of cords covered with vulcanized rubber or other suitable material, upon which the bag slides, arranged to pass through the loop on the bag, crossing each other at the point where they enter the loop, and attached to a horizontal waist-belt by means of clasps or other suitable fastening devices that will permit the wearer to detach either one or both supports from the waistbelt, as may be desired, for holding and supporting the bag-in such a manner that the entire bag can easily slide on the supports, and thus adjust itself to any position of the testicles, or be removed from the supports whenever desired by simply unclaspin g one end of each support; and of various other features of improvement, all as hereinafter more fully described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is afront view of our improved testicle-supporter, showing the various parts in position for use. Fig. 2 is a side view thereof; and Fig. 3 is a front view, showing the sliding, detachable, and self-adjusting bag detached.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, A designates the sliding, detachable, and self -adjusting bag; B, the horizontal waist-belt a, one of the perpendicular supports, and b the other. Z designates the loop which extends around the upper portion or top of the bag A.

In practice, our improved testicle-supporter is adjusted and used as follows: One end of each of the perpendicular supports a b isfastened to that portion of the waist-belt B which is directly above the hips. The other ends of each of said supports are inserted through the loop l on the bag A, crossing each other where they enter said loop, and the supports are drawn through the loop until their ends meet the front part of the waist-belt, to which they are,fastened. The device is then adjusted. to the person, the testicles placed in the bag, and the waist-belt passed around the waist and buckled or otherwise fastened. When thus adjusted the perpendicular supports a and b will be in the position shown in Fig. 2., the front portion of the'supports passing straight upward over the abdomen, and the rear portions passing over the checks of the buttocks to the waist-belt. The bag A is thus loosely hung upon the supports, and will easily slide on them, thereby adjusting itself; and it will readily be seen that this arrangement of a bag hung to slide on a pair of non-elastic supports, will permit the easy and natural adjustment of the bag, and with it the parts it supports to any position of the body, and it does not matter whether the wearer be standing, sitting, stooping, kneeling, or in any possible position, the bag will carry the parts easily and naturally, and preclude them from slipping out of the bag, or being drawn up against the abdomen, or from being in any wise strained, irritated, or injured. The advantages of our improved testiclesupporter are manifold, among which may be briefly mentioned the following, to wit: The sliding, detachable, and self-adjusting bag insures cleanliness as well as easy adjustment to the person, as it can be taken ofi from the perpendicular supports and replaced at pleasme without unfastening the waist-belt, and can be laid aside to air or be cleaned, and a new one substituted therefor; the non-elastic rubber-covered cords or perpendicular supports can be readily detached from the bag and waist-belt for the purpose of cleaning them, and can be cleaned and replaced without any trouble; the non-elasticity of the waist-belt and perpendicular supports, together with the mobility of the bag, is a great advantage, inasmuch as they permit the free play of the bag, no matter what position the wearer may be in, and do not draw the parts up or press against the person whenever the wearer changes his position.

In the testicle-supporters heretofore in use, the chief disadvantages were, first, that the bag was permanently and directly fastened to the waist-belt and buttock-straps, thus precluding mobility and natural adjustment of the bag to the parts, or causing the testicles to slip from the bag, or to be strained, or otherwise injured, giving discomfort instead of relief; second. that the bag would soon become soiled and emit a disagreeable odor, and as it could not be taken ofl" or readily cleansed the device would be thrown aside and become useless.

By our invention we remedy all these defects, and produce a testicle-supporter which will perform its functions without any detriment to the wearer, and the various parts of which can be attached to, and detached from, each other, so that they can be readily adjusted to the person, and easily cleansed when desired.

We are aware that testicle-supporters have heretofore been used of such a construction that the bag could be detached from the waistbelt and the straps or bands; but in these supporters the bag was directly fastened to the waist-belt-a construction the disadvantages of which we have already pointed out.

We do not seek to claim, broadly, a detachable bag; but

\Vhat we do claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a testicle-supporter, a bag of suitable material for holding the testicles, loosely supported by and adapted to slide upon two independent perpendicular supports of rubbercovered cord or other suitable material, each of which extends from a point in the rear to a point in front of the waist-belt, passing through the loop 011 the bag, and so attached to the waist-belt as to permit the removal of the bag, substantially as herein shown and specified.

The foregoing description of our said testicle-supporter signed by us this 26th day of November, A. D. 1878.

SHERMAN COOPER. HENRY HOSFORD.

Witnesses:

L. L. LOCKWOOD, F. E. HOSFORD. 

